Geno Smith reportedly has “diva attitude”

Grab some popcorn and settle in kids, this Geno Smith story just keeps getting better and better.

While Smith is blaming his now-former agents for his big tumble in the NFL draft, several NFL sources have now claimed the West Virginia quarterback’s attitude led to his fall.

Smith was selected by the New York Jets with the 39th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, but was projected by some as a top-10 talent. Smith fired his agents after the slide, but reports have come out that he was aloof during team visits and didn’t even pay attention during meetings with prospective teams.

One team with a top 10 pick has even said it passed on him because of the diva attitude he displayed in a pre-draft visit. There are reports that he was preoccupied with his cell phone during team visits, continually texting friends and checking Twitter.

Those meetings with teams are often seen as job interviews, so if that was how he was spending his time during them it’s not hard to understand why some teams weren’t happy.

The Jets were also turned off by Smith during a meeting with him at the scouting combine in February, but gave him the benefit of the doubt, believing his attitude must have been due to interview fatigue.

Smith also didn’t handle his fall in the draft well, originally claiming that he was going to go home instead of waiting in the green room for a second-straight night. He ended up returning for the second day and was selected with the seventh pick in the second round.

The money quote comes from an anonymous league executive who spent a lot of time with Smith before the draft. Here is what he had to say:

“His biggest problem is that he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. I’m not sure he knows how to take instruction because he pretty much wouldn’t listen or talk to our coaches … he’s talented. He can sling it, he can fit it into tight spots, he can do a lot of things and I think he wants to be good. But you can’t tell him anything right now. He’s tuned out because he thinks he’s got it all down.”

Ouch. That’s pretty bad. You’ve got to wonder how Smith will handle being under the microscope in New York, especially with the circus that is the Jets.